Returning the Favor
by TheSkandranon
Summary: A girl was saved from starvation by an unknown shinigami. How will she be able to return the favor if she doesn't know who he is and where to find him?


(Y/N) walked down the streets of the Sabitsura district, almost perfectly content. She was originally from this district, but truly hated it. The people were rough and lawless, and she had refused to grow up that way. But there was nothing she could do about her situation then. Until one day she started feeling a gnawing emptiness in her gut, she hadn't felt hunger since she died, so she was rather surprised. But she still had a hard time getting food to fill her empty stomach. She was hesitant to steal, but she had to on occasion.

But despite that, there came a night when (Y/N) was staggering from weakness and collapsed in the alley way. She even lacked the strength to get up again and she wondered if she was going to die in the street like a dog.

Then she felt small hands on her shoulders that were so gentle as they turned her over so she was lying in his slender arms.

"In a district such as this one, it's hard to get food if you truly need it huh?"

She opened her eyes to a blurry vision, but she could dimly make out a human shape with white hair. As her vision cleared by small bits, she could see vivid teal eyes that seemed to go on forever, and a Shinigami's shihakushō.

At first she was frightened, Shinigami had a bad rep in the area, but then he gave her some fresh bread, and a slice of watermelon.

"Here, take this and survive. Survive till you're able to get to the Shinigami Academy. There you'll be able to live a more comfortable lifestyle."

Then he leaned her against the wall of a building, and jumped up and over it. Since then she had worked hard to make it into the academy, and then literally fought to make it through the academy.

People there gave her a hard time for being who she was and where she was from, but she didn't let it bother her. She had excellent marks, not the best but still, in all areas of being a Shinigami.

When she finally learned her zanpakuto's name was Iyashi Moyasu, she discovered she had a fire type, but it was a healing fire, instead of a fire of destruction. Because of that, she knew she'd be in the fourth squad, but she didn't mind that. She knew the Fourth Squad was sometimes looked down upon by the other squads, and given menial tasks, but she'd rather be helping others than fighting hollows.

And so her assumption proved to be right when she graduated and admitted into the fourth squad. Because of the uniqueness of her zanpakuto, Unohana Taichou herself requested a demonstration and (Y/N) soon rose to fifth seat.

And there she was content to stay; she didn't want the responsibility of being as high as second or third seat. As the fifth seat she'd have a lot more freedom and personal time.

She was using her personal time now to visit her mother in the Sabitsura district. (Y/N)'s mother was the cause of her not being perfectly content. Now that she was a Shinigami, she wanted the woman who had cared for her ever since she had arrived from the world of the living to locate in a better district where she'd be safer. But the woman wouldn't leave; she took in countless children like her and made the best home for them as possible. So maybe it wasn't such a bad thing for her to leave, but she still worried about the woman sometimes.

(Y/N) was on her way back to the Seireitei through a forested area when she discovered some roughly damaged foliage. Even a few trees had been ripped right off their trunks. What happened here?

She walked through the area with caution when she came across someone lying face down on the ground with. The clothes showed that the person wasn't from this district. They were a pristine white, with some red splashed in. The hair was the same way.

She was still concerned for the person so walked carefully forward to see if they needed help. As she came closer she discovered that the red was in reality blood, and that the person was lying on some leaves that were covered with their blood.

She then ran forward and discovered that what she took as just a white cloak was in fact the white hiori of a taichou. She hadn't met any of the captains except her own, but she had heard about them. Judging by the small stature and spiky hair that was supposed to be all white, this must be Hitsugaya Toshiro, the boy wonder. Hard to imagine someone her size was a captain, but no one denied that he had the power necessary to be one.

When she turned him over to assess how bad his wounds were, she discovered he was more than just Hitsugaya Taichou. He was the also the Shinigami that had given her food and advised her to become a Shinigami.

(Y/N) sat there holding him as he had held her and stared for a few seconds, struck by her surprise and his handsome face. Then a gulp and a fit of coughing up blood called her attention to her job.

She rested him on the ground and pulled out her zanpakuto and called forth her healing flame.

At first the young taichou sprang up to attack, thinking she was going to kill him. But he really didn't have the strength and fell back down unconscious once more.

Even though her flames were on the outside of the body, they healed only the internal wounds. And the worse the injuries, the longer it took, and the more strength it seeped out of her.

It didn't come to a surprise to her that when (Y/N) finally sensed the healing was complete, she was exhausted and sat back panting for a few minutes.

But her work wasn't quite done. Sure, she healed the inside of him, but he still had external injuries as well and it was still possible for him to bleed to death.

So (Y/N) dug inside her pack that she always carried with her and pulled out some bandages.

As she wrapped up his torso, (Y/N) couldn't help but take a few seconds of pause. Despite the wounds on his front and back, his chest was taught and well muscled. And his back was even better. She was a girl who admired a well muscled back more than abs. Just about any man could have a six pack, but it took dedication to make sure all his muscles, including his back, were as strong as they could be. But despite the tempting distraction, she was able to bandage him up quite well.

During the time it had taken to heal and bandage him up, he hadn't awoken, and that worried her. So she decided she shouldn't move him till he was recovered most of the way. She also didn't want to leave for a long period of time and let him wake up injured and alone, but it could get pretty cold here at night, and she only had one blanket on her.

The blanket was a gift from her mother from her last visit. It wasn't a particularly warm one, but it was large and only worn a little. She had wanted her mother to keep it, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.

(Y/N) was able to wrap both her and Hitsugaya Taichou up with care in the blanket to use each other's body heat to keep each other warm. At first she was just too nervous to do anything else but just lay next to him. But after about a half hour, she couldn't stop herself from wrapping her arms around him.

She knew the taichou had a reputation for being cold hearted, but she knew that deep down he was a caring and kind person. She owed him her life, and wouldn't even be a Shinigami if it wasn't for him.

She doubted that he remembered her, but she still wanted to thank him, and helping to heal him, to her, seemed only a small repayment. But she'd figure out what else to do tomorrow, she was too tired tonight. She figured that the captain would still be unconscious tomorrow and that she'll wake up before him. So she fell asleep holding him protectively in her arms.

XxXxXxXxX

When Toshiro woke up, he knew something strange was going on. Several somethings, in fact.

He first became aware of birds chirping directly above him, his quarters did not have any birds. Plus, it was too light, and the light was coming from the wrong direction. He never overslept so how is it too light out? Another thing that was strange was that he was incredibly sore, had he been injured somehow?

But the thing that was the most strange was that there was someone lying next to him. And not only next to him, but they were holding him. There was no way he could have gotten drunk last night and spent the night with a woman. Absolutely no way, he didn't drink for one thing, and even if he did, he doubted that he would go sleeping around with anyone when he was drunk.

He looked down at his chest to look at the arm located there, and saw that he was wrapped up in bandages. So he must have been in a fight last night. Then he remembered that a particularly strong hollow somehow arrived in the Rukongai, and since he was visiting his grandmother at the time, he was the closest Shinigami.

He was able to defeat the hollow, but was severely injured during the fight. He must have lost consciousness, but he did have a vague recollection of fire. But who healed him? The people here hated Shinigami, they wouldn't help him. And where did the fire come from?

He looked over to the owner of the arm and saw an unfamiliar, but beautiful sleeping face, her (H/L) (H/C) was a bit disheveled from sleep, but it didn't detract from her looks. He of course couldn't see her eye color since her eyelids hid them, but he suspected that they were as pleasant as the rest of her. But he'd known many beautiful girls and they were all the same for the most part. They always wanted something from him. No doubt this girl wanted something from him for wrapping him up.

He moved to sit up and leave, but found he lacked the strength and soon relaxed on the ground again. But his movement must have disturbed the girl because she moaned softly and stirred. He turned to look at her as she opened (E/C) eyes with reluctance and stared at him, sleep still fogged her eyes.

But then her eyes cleared as she gasped in astonishment, looked down at her arms then back at him. She blushed a bright red and moved away from him with her back towards him with a swiftness that took him by surprise. But her movements jarred his injuries and he gasped and clenched his teeth to keep from shouting out.

His gasp caused her to turn back and kneel next to him, "I'm sorry Hitsugaya Taichou, but please don't move, your wounds haven't healed yet."

He looked at the young girl, she appeared to be around his own age, but in Soul Society you never could judge age by looks.

"You know who I am?"

"Of course, I don't think there is a Shinigami alive who doesn't know who you are taichou."

So she was a Shinigami was she? He couldn't tell since she wasn't in uniform. "So who are you if you're a Shinigami?"

"Oh no, I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself did I? I'm (L/N) (F/N), Fifth Seat of the Fourth Division."

So this was the girl he's heard so much about. The girl with the healing flame. That explained the vague memory of fire last night, and the fact he didn't feel as bad as he would have expected from as severe wounds as he had received.

He didn't know anything else about her. He's never been one to delve into someone's personal life, so he studied her to find out more about her.

(Y/N) squirmed a little under his scrutiny, though he wasn't sure why.

"Um, I'm sorry for my presumption last night. I just didn't want you to get cold and go into deeper shock than you probably were."

Her presumption? What was she talking about? Healing him? That couldn't be it, it's her duty to heal others if she can. She must mean the way she was sleeping right next to him, and holding him.

"As long as it kept both you and I warm, I'll overlook it."

(Y/N) looked down at her knees, "I doubt you'll remember this incident, but I've always wanted to thank you for helping me when I had been just a street rat. You found me almost dead with hunger and gave me bread and watermelon. I'm sure that without your help, I would have died that night. So thank you much Hitsugaya Taichou." She rested her hands on the earth, and bowed as low as she could.

Toshiro just stared at her in surprise, he had helped her once? He supposed that it was possible, he'd helped several people he'd found starving in the street, but none of them had ever thanked him before.

"You're welcome (L/N) -san, and thank you for helping me, but I have to get going now." He made a move to try and get up again, but it was only a bit more successful than his first attempt.

"No taichou, you must keep still. Or you'll open up your wounds again," she gently pressed him back on his shoulders trying not to strain his injuries.

"I need to get back and make a report."

"No," (Y/N) said a little more force. "You can't, you'll have to report in later."

"It's my duty as a taichou, I need to get back."

(Y/N) straightened and took on an official sounding voice, "Hitsugaya Taichou, as your current medical examiner I outrank you in certain aspects, and I order you to stay put."

Toshiro looked up at her in astonishment as she looked at him sternly, but then she seemed to realize just what she was saying to him and flushed a bright red.

"I mean... uh... If you really feel you need to let the Gotei Thirteen know where you are I can go and inform them."

He didn't know if her face could get any redder, but he was so surprised by her outburst that he continued to just stare at her. No one but another taichou has taken that tone with him for a long time. Even Matsumoto, who disregards several of his orders, has never spoken to him like that since he became her superior.

"Well, uh, that'll work I guess. I don't want everyone wondering what has happened to me."

(Y/N) was still beet red with embarrassment and couldn't seem to speak anymore so she just nodded vigorously and then shunpoed off towards the Seireitei.

Toshiro smiled a little to himself after she left. Well, there may be more to this girl than he had thought. Since (Y/N) had received something from him before, that he willingly gave, maybe she won't be like the other girls.

* * *

**A/N: Woo, that was fun. I had a request to write a ToshiroxReader fanfic, and this came to mind. I really like how it came out, I don't know if it's quite what they wanted though. They wanted something fluffy with cuddling and stuff. While this isn't quite what I call fluffy, there is some cuddling there, so hopefully it'll work for them, lol.**

**For those who are wondering Iyashi Moyasu means "healing burn" At least according to Google Translate, which I know isn't the most accurate. So if it's wrong, someone please tell me.**


End file.
